The Constitution established a Federal democratic republic. It is the system of the Federal Government; it is democratic because the people govern themselves; and it is a republic because the Government’s power is derived from its people.

The Illinois Constitution of 1818 was modeled after the United States Constitution and written in Kaskasia, Illinois, the state’s first capital. It established the state’s bicameral legislative system and a provided for a governor and lieutenant governor to be elected every four years.

ARTICLE I BILL OF RIGHTS SECTION 1. To secure these rights and the protection of property, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. (Source: Illinois Constitution.)

ELECTION LAWS The General Assembly by law shall define permanent residence for voting purposes, insure secrecy of voting and the integrity of the election process, and facilitate registration and voting by all qualified persons. Laws governing voter registration and conduct of elections shall be general and uniform.

(Source: Illinois Constitution.) SECTION 5. CANVASS – CONTESTS The election returns for executive offices shall be sealed and transmitted to the Secretary of State, or other person or body provided by law, who shall examine and consolidate the returns.

Bills, except bills for appropriations and for the codification, revision or rearrangement of laws, shall be confined to one subject. Appropriation bills shall be limited to the subject of appropriations. A bill expressly amending a law shall set forth completely the sections amended.

STATE REVENUE POWER The General Assembly has the exclusive power to raise revenue by law except as limited or otherwise provided in this Constitution. The power of taxation shall not be surrendered, suspended, or contracted away. (Source: Illinois Constitution.)

Corruption. Six Illinois governors have been charged with crimes during or after their governorships; four were convicted, and of those, one (Blagojevich) was the first to be impeached and removed from office.

Illinois schoolchildren voted to select the white-tailed deer as the state animal in 1980. The vote was made official by the General Assembly in 1982.

Land of Lincoln

Illinois State Animal – White-tailed Deer The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was selected by schoolchildren as Illinois’ State Animal in 1980.

5 Of The Most Dangerous Illinois Animals

• Timber Rattlesnake. wildherps.com.
• Striped Bark Scorpion. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov.
• Black Widow Spider. The black widow spider is a commonly known predator with its distinctive black color with a bold, iconic red spot on its abdomen.
• Mountain Lion.
• Brown Recluse Spider.

No longer are there populations of bears, mountain lions and wolves in Illinois. But that’s not to say individual examples of these long-vanished species won’t occasionally appear in Illinois.

white-tailed deer

Black Panthers Recently, it has made a comeback into its old habitat. It is a genetic anomaly for a wild cat to be jet black in color, and no black cougars have ever been captured or photographed (most “black panthers” are actually jaguars or leopards). Never-the-less, several have been spotted in Illinois.

There are several species of mice and rats in Illinois. The species most likely to cause problems are the house mouse, deer mouse, white-footed mouse, and Norway rat. The house mouse and Norway rat are not native to Illinois.

Gray wolves remain protected in Illinois as a state endangered species. Gray wolves have been protected by the Illinois Wildlife Code since 2015. Gray wolves may not be hunted, killed, or harassed for any reason.

Wolves (and hybrids) and lions, tigers, leopards, ocelots, jaguars, cheetahs, margays, mountain lions, lynxes, bobcats, and jaguarundis (and hybrids thereof) are illegal to possess in Illinois unless the person has authorization from the Department of Natural Resources to bring them into the State and the person has a …

To kill a coyote in rural areas, a hunting or trapping license issued by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is required. No you cannot shoot a coyote in your backyard to protect property within city limits.

The state protection remains, meaning killing wolves anywhere in Illinois remains prohibited.

American black bears, mountain lions and gray wolves to be protected in Illinois. SB 3049 allows landowners to take a black bear or mountain lion if there is an imminent threat to lives and property. The law also allows landowners to apply for a nuisance permit to remove an animal that is not an immediate threat.

The American bobcat (Lynx rufus), which is the only native wild cat in Illinois, was once listed as a threatened species. It was first protected in 1972, but the designation was removed in 1999.

In recent years, there have been multiple confirmed sightings of cougars, black bears, and wolves in Illinois. However, these species are all still very rare visitors in the state.

There are no known cougar populations in Illinois.

There is no evidence that resident breeding populations of cougars exist in Illinois at this time. As populations in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Rocky Mountain states increase, it is possible that cougars will disperse through Illinois in search of new territories. Cougars have been protected in Illinois since 2015.

Wolves are commonly killed in revenge after they kill livestock, or in fear of attacks on humans. Gray wolves are carnivores that usually prey on ungulates much larger than themselves, such as elk, deer or moose, but will also eat smaller mammals such as beaver, rabbit or livestock.

Wolves are also “coursing predators,” meaning they like to take their prey on the run. Don’t try to stare the wolves down. They regard eye contact as a challenge. Don’t turn your back on the wolves since they’ll be incited to try and flank you.